Business

Tampa, Fla. — It appears that BlueGrace Logistics has found its new vice president of marketing. The company announced via media release on Monday, July 29, the promotion of Adam White to the role, where he will oversee BlueGrace’s marketing and public relations efforts. “Adam’s dedication to developing BlueGrace and its brand throughout the years has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am pleased to see his continued growth,” said Adam Blankenship, COO of BlueGrace. “I am confident that our marketing efforts will continue to thrive and be a pillar of the industry with Adam leading the team.” According to BlueGrace’s released statement, “the company is fully committed to its customers’ supply chain needs and will continue to make strategic investments in our technology, leadership, and service portfolio. The organization is well-positioned for innovation, sustained success, and continued expansion.” “I have had the pleasure of leading some of the most creative and hardworking individuals over my tenure at BlueGrace. The marketing team here has developed some of the most brilliant and successful campaigns in the logistics industry,” said Adam White. “I look forward to leading our award-winning team into the future and continuing to push the marketing envelope in logistics.”  

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Schneider National Inc., a multimodal provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services, is helping shippers create flexible growth opportunities, find efficiencies and take advantage of industry leading offerings. “It’s much easier and quicker for shippers to move their freight across the border than the ocean, and that’s been a real learning for them over the past few years,” said Erin Van Zeeland, Schneider chief commercial officer, group senior vice president and general manager of logistics. “When companies diversify the transportation modes they use to move their freight – such as combining intermodal, truckload and dedicated – they are able to experience better on-time service, seamless transportation and a higher level of security for their freight.” According to the Mexico Institute for Competitiveness, in the first half of 2023, foreign direct investment related to nearshoring in Mexico increased by 47%. In a press release, Schneider said that the trend is driven by companies that are switching from distant production hubs to locations closer to the final consumer, called nearshoring, allowing them to thrive on proximity and cost optimization. Nearshoring also allows companies to achieve operational efficiency while maintaining control over projects in terms of cost-effectiveness, logistics and risk mitigation. Schneider, which has been operating in Mexico for the last 32 years, recently relocated to a new office in the Polanco District of Mexico City. This move makes it even easier for the company to meet with customers and prospects from a centralized location. The company said it provides customers with strategic cross-border transportation solutions by analyzing their freight needs and then collaborating to help them implement solutions including Intermodal, Van Truckload, Dedicated, Expedited, Bulk, Brokerage and more. Last year, Schneider expanded its cross-border capabilities by becoming a strategic intermodal carrier on CPKC’s flagship north-south route, according to the release. Schneider’s rail partnership with CPKC creates more options for customers and furthers efficiency by increasing reliability, security and capacity. “Today, reliability is more important to customers than ever, and our relationship with CPKC allows us to provide faster transit times with more consistent service and a higher level of security while still delivering on-time,” said Michael Baumgardt, Schneider senior vice president and general manager of intermodal. “Customers are also showing a strong commitment to improving their environmental impact, and they are looking for greener solutions to transport their goods with responsible providers that can offer a variety of services to cover their needs. Schneider can do all that and more.” Schneider noted in the release that rail freight transportation facilitates fuel savings, with one ton of freight being shipped up to 500 miles on the equivalent of a single gallon of fuel. Schneider’s north-south zero-handoff route with CPKC saves approximately 3,400 pounds of CO2 emissions and 157 intermodal gallons per trip compared to existing over-the-road routes.

WASHINGTON — John Esparza, president and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association, has been elected as chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Trucking Association Executives Council (TAEC), Tony Bradley, president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, has been elected as vice chairman. Esparza previously served as TAEC’s vice chair and succeeds Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, who recently concluded her one-year term as TAEC chair.  As TAEC chairman, Esparza serves as the TAEC representative to the ATA Executive Committee and Strategic Priorities Committee. “To say it is a tremendous honor would be an understatement,” Esparza said. “I will take Shannon’s lead in this long gray line of so many state executives who have been elected by their peers, all with the same goal in mind: to serve the industry and one another selflessly and with the spirit of the many great men and women who work daily to keep this country trucking safely.” As vice chairman, Bradley serves as first alternate should Esparza be unable to participate in an Executive Committee or Strategic Priorities Committee meeting. “It is an honor to be elected as vice chairman of the TAEC. I am committed to working collaboratively with my fellow executives to drive positive change, advance our industry’s priorities and improve our association,” Bradley said.  “Together, we will continue to advocate for the interests of our members and ensure a strong future for trucking and trucking associations.” TAEC is comprised of staff executives of state trucking associations and conferences affiliated with ATA. According to ATA, TAEC has a three-pronged purpose: To promote the trucking industry; To contribute to the improvement of the associations and organizations established to serve the trucking industry; and To advance the professional stature and capabilities of the managers and executives of such associations. Esparza has led the Texas Trucking Association and the Southwest Movers Association since 2006.  Previously, he worked for the administrations of Texas governors Rick Perry and George W. Bush. He has also served on the Texas Energy Task Force, the Texas Panama Canal Stakeholder Work Group and the Texas Proposition 1 Special Committee on Transportation Funding.  He continues to serve on the Texas Transportation Commission’s State Freight Advisory Committee and the Texas Border Infrastructure Planning Committee.  He was most recently appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Task Force. Bradley has led the Arizona Trucking Association and the Arizona Trucking Association Foundation since 2013.  He began his professional career with U.S. Sen. John McCain, working in a variety of capacities for the late senator in Arizona and Washington, D.C., and he consulted and advised on hundreds of political and public affairs campaigns throughout the U.S.

FORT SMITH, Ark. — ArcBest has announced Seth Runser, president of ABF Freight, will become president of ArcBest effective Aug. 1.   While Runser will take on this new role, Judy R. McReynolds will remain chief executive officer and chairman of the board.  “Seth has made tremendous contributions to ArcBest’s success over his time with our company, including as president of ABF,” McReynolds said. “Under his leadership, ABF has consistently delivered record results and has made great strides in enhancing profitability and operational efficiency. His deep knowledge of the business, innovative spirit and commitment to advancing ArcBest’s mission and strategy make him the right person to succeed me as president. I look forward to working alongside him and the rest of the team as we advance our strategy for long-term growth and value creation for the benefit of our employees, customers and shareholders.”  Runser has been president of ABF Freight since 2021. According to a company press release, Runser navigated unprecedented change — guiding ABF through a global pandemic, successfully renewing a five-year union labor agreement and leading an ongoing transformation of ABF that drove eight quarters of record results. The release also added that during Runser’s tenure, ABF has improved profitability, increased employee productivity and implemented innovations that have significantly enhanced efficiency and sustainability. He has also overseen the creation of ABF’s long-term facility plan to enable accelerated growth, adding over 500 doors since 2021. Runser joined ArcBest over 17 years ago as a management trainee, gaining experience in roles of increasing responsibility across operations, linehaul and executive management.  “I am grateful for Judy’s vision and leadership, and look forward to serving in this new capacity,” said Runser. “With our innovative mindset and integrated solutions, ArcBest is uniquely positioned to help customers solve their most complex logistics challenges. I am committed to accelerating growth, increasing efficiency and driving continued innovation. Our people are at the heart of our success, having served our customers with excellence and innovative solutions for more than a century.”  Matt Godfrey, current vice president of engineering at ABF, will assume the role of ABF president to succeed Runser, also effective Aug. 1.  The press release notes that Godfrey began his current role in 2021 and has been instrumental in driving ABF’s optimization efforts and improvements of the business. He has been with ABF for 20 years, starting as a management trainee and serving in several roles of increasing responsibility.   “Working closely with Seth on the ongoing execution of ABF’s transformation, Matt’s leadership has already brought about significant improvements to ABF,” said McReynolds. “He has guided our optimization efforts, which have increased capacity and delivered value for customers, and he deeply understands the ABF network, our strategy and our Quality Process. His commitment to our people and ABF’s success is unwavering, and I am confident that under his guidance, the business will continue to grow and reach new heights.” 

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (ODFL) has reported a second-quarter profit of $322 million.  “Old Dominion produced another quarter of profitable growth despite continued softness in the domestic economy,” said Marty Freeman, president and CEO of Old Dominion. “This was our third consecutive quarter with growth in both revenue and earnings per diluted share, and it was the first time in over a year where our earnings increased by double digits. These results were made possible by the dedication of the OD Family of employees, who continue to execute on our long-term strategic plan that is centered on our ability to provide our customers with superior service at a fair price. Consistently delivering best-in-class service also continues to support our yield-management strategy and ongoing ability to win market share.”  On a per-share basis, the Thomasville, North Carolina-based company said it had profit of $1.48.  According to a press release from the company, the results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.45 per share.  All prior-period share and per share data in this release have been adjusted to reflect the Company’s March 2024 two-for-one stock split.  “Our second quarter revenue growth of 6.1% was primarily due to a 4.4% increase in LTL revenue per hundredweight and a 1.9% increase in LTL tons per day,” Freeman said. “The increase in LTL tons per day reflects a 3.1% increase in LTL shipments per day that was partially offset by a 1.2% decrease in weight per shipment. LTL revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges, increased 4.9% due primarily to the success of our long-term yield-management strategy. Our consistent, cost-based approach to pricing focuses on offsetting our cost inflation while also supporting further investments in the capacity and technology that our customers expect.”  The trucking company posted revenue of $1.5 billion in the period, which met Street forecasts.  “Our operating ratio improved 40 basis points to 71.9% for the second quarter of 2024, due primarily to the quality of our revenue growth and continued focus on operating efficiencies,” Freeman said. “These factors allowed us to improve our direct operating costs as a percent of revenue, which more than offset the increase in our overhead expenses as a percent of revenue. The combination of the growth in revenue and operating ratio improvement resulted in the 11.3% increase in earnings per diluted share to $1.48 for the second quarter.”  According to the release, Old Dominion’s net cash provided by operating activities was $387.8 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $811.7 million for the first half of the year. The Company had $74.3 million in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30.  Capital expenditures were $238.1 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $357.6 million for the first half of the year. The company expects its aggregate capital expenditures for 2024 to total approximately $750 million, including planned expenditures of $350 million for real estate and service center expansion projects; $325 million for tractors and trailers; and $75 million for information technology and other assets.  Old Dominion continued to return capital to shareholders during the second quarter of 2024 through its share repurchase and dividend programs, according to the release. For the first six months of this year, the Company utilized $637.1 million of cash for its share repurchase program, including a $200.0 million accelerated share repurchase agreement that will expire no later than November 2024, and paid $112.6 million in cash dividends. 

STEVENSVILLE, Md. — Stertil-Koni, a provider of heavy-duty vehicle lifts,  announced July 24 that DeLyn Wirkus is joining the company as national account manager. In this position, Wirkus will focus on serving national accounts in the transit, agriculture and airline market segments. “DeLyn is a focused, successful pro in our industry, and we look forward to his contributions in expanding Stertil-Koni relationships in key national accounts across North America,” said Steven Plomin, Stertil-Koni’s director of national accounts. With over three decades of diverse experience in the vehicle service industry, from senior planning and management to hands-on engagement with shop owners, Wirkus has established his skills and leadership in the field. Wirkus lives in Idaho, where he is an active volunteer with local, regional and national Skills USA teams, which mentor high school and college students who are pursuing careers in vehicle service.